Heart of the Pure, Mind of the Innocent
by Sharingan0426
Summary: Naruto is killed in battle protecting Sakura. But Sakura is in for the surprise of a lifetime when she realizes that his physical body may be gone, but his spirit remains! NaruSaku! Chapter 1 coming soon! On hold until A New Age is complete.


Heart of the Pure, Mind of the Innocent

This is my third fanfiction that I have written, and it takes place after Shippuuden, as all my stories related to Naruto are… But it is also the first story that doesn't have any OOC pairings. Mind you, if you have read my other work, you know that I think Xorias is too bad ass to be left out of the story. So, he will be in this story from time to time, but by no means is he a primary character. So, without further ado, here is the prologue to Heart of the Pure, Mind of the Innocent.

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Sakura was fuming, '_Why_ _can't he understand?!'_

"Sakura, we can't afford to do this any longer. The missions are taxing on us every time we go! There is no good in him left…"

Naruto had been trying to convince Sakura that Sasuke was no longer worth chasing. Even though he failed every time, he felt like he couldn't give up.

"Of course there is good in him, Naruto!"

"Try being at the end of his pointy sword and then talk to me about 'good,'" he said calmly.

"Give me one good reason… one good reason why I should stop believing in him… one good reason why I should stop trying to bring him back…" she said lowering her voice.

There was dead silence. From Naruto's house, a vagrant breeze blew into the house. Naruto looked around. He had hoped it never came to this.

"Because… because… I don't want to lose you…"

"What?" she replied absolutely dumbstruck.

"One of these times, you won't come back. I care for you too much to let you do this any longer…"

Sakura didn't know what to say. So she did the only thing she knew how to do when didn't know what to do…

Naruto was thrown back against the wall as Sakura drilled him through wooden table in the center of the room.

"Sakura…"

A tear rolled down her cheek as she turned away and began to walk towards the door. But as she opened it, she stopped, "Naruto, I won't stop. I love Sasuke, and I always will… I can't give up on him, I just can't… I'm sorry, Naruto…"

She slammed the door on her way out.

Naruto was heartbroken. He struggled to get up, and failed as his legs gave way, kicking up wood chips and dirt as he fell to the floor. Naruto was trembling, on the verge of tears. All he had ever done, he had done for Sakura. He loved her more than life itself.

Naruto needed to take his mind off of things. He eventually got himself up and out the door. His mind began to wander, going from his levels of hunger, to the frustrating game of Go what he lost to Konohamaru. Though he eventually arrived at the house of Xorias Odamori-Uchiha.

He knocked on the wooden door. It was made of oak and had an illustration of a fourth wheel of the Sharingan. Everyone in the village knew of Xorias and his fourth wheel. In fact, probably half the world knew…

Xorias opened the door and saw Naruto, "Naruto, what's the matter?"

"Can I come in?"

"Of course."

He waved Naruto into his house. Xorias was captain of the ANBU team. But he always made time to talk with his friends, even if they still genin. He always found time. Naruto admired him about that. Xorias was formerly a member of the Council of Lorii. An evil organization, bent on destroying Konoha. Xorias was deceived by the Council and decided to live in Konoha as a citizen. As it turned out, Xorias was actually a member of the Uchiha clan, whose parents were killed in secrecy by the Council of Lorii in accordance with Itachi and Madara Uchiha. He now is a full-fledged shinobi of Konoha.

Xorias and Naruto sat across from each other in the room just inside the house near the entry hall.

"So, what is the problem, Naruto?"

"It's Sakura… I tried to convince her to stop chasing after Sasuke. I told her it's taxing every time we try to rescue him… but she didn't listen…"

"Naruto, you don't come to others if they merely refuse your logic. What is the real problem?"

Naruto chuckled sadly and sighed, "You know me so well. She told me she loved Sasuke and that she wouldn't stop chasing him…"

Xorias winced, "Oh."

"Yeah. I don't know… I just really thought that she felt the same way that I feel for her. I guess it's just pointless to keep chasing _her_ anymore…"

"Naruto, never give up on her. If you love her that much, then you can never give in to your grief and despair…"

Naruto offered his thanks as he sat up from the couch and walked out the door. Xorias followed him smiling, saying, "I'm going to get a bite to eat. You really hooked me on ramen. It's like a drug…"

Naruto smiled lightly as Xorias closed the door behind him.

Naruto began to talk back to his house. The sun was scorching on that summer day and made things hazy at times to see. He wiped his forehead with his hand, ridding himself of the beads of sweat of his forehead.

As he reached out his hand to open the door to his house, he heard a scream from outside the walls.

"Sakura!"

Naruto realized something. Xorias was right. He was never going to give up on her. He was going to show her how much he loved her one day or the other.

He skirted off the main road and leapt from house to house over the walls of Konoha. Naruto cracked his knuckles looking for the bastard who was harming the woman he loved. He finally spotted her, but his face turned to that of grim despair. It was Sasuke. He warned her. There was no more good in him. Sasuke had been branded a traitor, and rightfully so. Naruto wasn't ready to condone his previous actions against the village of Konoha.

Orochimaru was standing in front of her. He had obviously paralyzed her with fear. Naruto landed behind Sakura. Sasuke and Orochimaru were shocked to see him.

"Naruto, Naruto. Come to save her I see?" Sasuke murmured.

Orochimaru turned to Sasuke, "Sasuke, you can handle it from here…" The Sannin disappeared into the forest, but not before paralyzing Naruto with fear. Naruto tried with all his might to move, but to no avail.

Naruto's sweat beaded up even more than before. Even the Kyuubi wouldn't help him here. Sasuke was too close. He had one shot at protecting her life. He pulled a kunai out and slightly cut himself releasing his body from his paralysis.

"Naruto, watch the woman you fought for all these years die in front of your eyes. I am going to let you live with the fact that you couldn't protect her… This is the most painful torture of all…"

Sasuke lifted his sword. Its blade, glimmering in the sunlight.

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'I am truly sorry it had to come to this Sakura…'

Sasuke thrust his blade forward and contacted with flesh. He didn't hear a woman's voice…

Naruto grunted, wincing in extreme pain. Sasuke pulled out his blade, distraught by the outcome and fled.

Blood was flowing profusely from the wound. Sakura had been released from her paralysis.

"Naruto? Naruto?!" she yelled, grabbing Naruto's arms.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to end like this…"

"Naruto, don't leave me… I need you here…"

She began healing the wound, but he brushed her hand aside, "It cannot be helped. The wound is too severe. Sakura… I need to tell you something…"

Sakura laid him out on the soft ground, now in tears at this point.

"What is it?"

"I… I love…." Naruto stopped breathing and his pulse ceased.

Sakura began lightly shaking him, "Naruto… Naruto? Your going to make it, I know you are, Naruto… don't leave me! No!"

Sakura's tears began streaming down her cheeks and she buried her head in his chest.

Xorias appeared beside Sakura, "Damn… I was too late…"

"Xorias!" she shouted as she threw her arms around him, sobbing greatly. He returned the hug, trying pointlessly to comfort her…

"Naruto…" Xorias said under his breath, "you will always be with us…"

Xorias just didn't know how true that statement was…

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Well, what do you think? R&R please. I would like to know what I could do better in my writing… I don't actually know where I got the ideas for this story. But I have a lot of the plot in my head, but I am completely open to any ideas. Thank you!


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